An Incomplete History of Protest at The Whitney Museum

An Incomplete History of Protest goes on view in the Museum’s sixth-floor Collection Galleries and Stefan Edlis and Gael Neeson Foundation Outdoor Gallery beginning August 18. This new exhibition of works from the Whitney’s collection looks at how artists from the 1940s to the present have confronted the political and social issues of their day. Whether making art as a form of activism, criticism, instruction, or inspiration, the featured artists see their work as essential to challenging established thought and creating a more equitable culture. Many have sought immediate change, such as ending the war in Vietnam or combating the AIDS crisis. Others have engaged with protest more indirectly, with the long term in mind, hoping to create new ways of imagining society and citizenship. An Incomplete History of Protest brings together some of the Whitney’s most powerful works by Mark Bradford, Paul Chan, Larry Clark, General Idea, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Guerrilla Girls, On Kawara, Edward Kienholz, Glenn Ligon, Julie Mehretu, Toyo Miyatake, Senga Nengudi, Gordon Parks, Ad Reinhardt, Martha Rosler, Kara Walker, and others.